Contextual sentiment analysis of digital memes and trends systems and methods

ABSTRACT

This disclosure is directed to methods and systems that enable automatic recognition of the meaning, sentiment, and intent of an Internet meme. An Internet meme refers to a digitized image, video, or sound that is a unit of cultural information, carries symbolic meaning representing a particular phenomenon or theme, and is generally known and understood by members of a particular culture. The disclosed methods include automatic identification of a meme template and automatic detection of the sentiment and relationships between entities in the meme. The methods provide the determination of a meme&#39;s meaning as intended by its purveyors, as well as recognition of the original sentiment and attitudes conveyed by the use of entities within the meme.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.17/517,426, filed Nov. 2, 2021, which claims the benefit of U.S.Provisional Patent Application No. 63/108,473, filed Nov. 2, 2020, bothof which are incorporated by reference in their entireties herein.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure is related to contextual sentiment analysis fordigital memes and trends.

BACKGROUND

Internet-based social listening, natural language processing, sentimentanalysis, and social media measurement have been gaining in importance.Entities are deeply interested in understanding an audience's feelings,attitudes and beliefs towards a person, place or thing, based on theonline text and language that people use associated with that entity.However, much Internet-based communication is increasingly occurring viavideos, sounds, and images, especially memes (where a meme can be animage, audio, or a video trend that is replicated and shared).Traditional natural language processing methods are unable tocontextualize automatically or at scale the emotions, relationships andsentiments that audio, video and image-based Internet memes convey,including the attitudes and beliefs that users are conveying throughtheir usage of meme communication.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a functionality diagram illustrating contextual sentimentanalysis of digital memes, in accordance with one or more embodiments.

FIGS. 2A, 2B, and 2C illustrate example image meme contexts, inaccordance with one or more embodiments.

FIGS. 3A, 3B, and 3C illustrate example image meme contexts, inaccordance with one or more embodiments.

FIGS. 4A and 4B illustrate example audio meme contexts, in accordancewith one or more embodiments.

FIGS. 5A and 5B illustrate example video meme contexts, in accordancewith one or more embodiments.

FIG. 6 is a flow diagram illustrating an example process for contextualsentiment analysis of digital memes, in accordance with one or moreembodiments.

FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example referential sentiment wheelfor contextual sentiment analysis of digital memes, in accordance withone or more embodiments.

FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example annotated digital meme, inaccordance with one or more embodiments.

FIG. 9 is a block diagram illustrating an example machine learning (ML)system, in accordance with one or more embodiments.

FIG. 10 is a block diagram illustrating an example computer system, inaccordance with one or more embodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Internet-based social listening, natural language processing, sentimentanalysis, and social media measurement is gaining in importance. Forinstance, entities that own trademarks or brands are deeply interestedin determining an audience's feelings, attitudes, or beliefs towards aperson, place or thing, based on the online text and language thatpeople use associated with that entity. Much of Internet-basedcommunication is increasingly occurring via digital videos, sounds andimages, especially digital memes. A digital meme or meme refersgenerally to an idea, behavior, sentiment, or style that is spread viathe Internet, often through social media platforms. A digital memeincludes one or more of images, audio clips, video clips, text, sounds,graphics interchange format (GIF), viral sensations, online challenges,any other expressive digital content, or a combination thereof. Thisdisclosure is generally directed to methods, systems, and apparatus forderiving the meaning of significant, nuanced, templatized media (such asimages having text, audio clips, video, or a combinationthereof—hereafter referred to as “memes”) by processing their contentand context in conjunction to conclude the communication's intent and/orsentiment.

The embodiments disclosed herein describe a computer system, such as aserver, laptop, or other computer, obtaining a meme from a data source.The data source can include an online forum, a website, a socialplatform, a server to which a data set has been uploaded or acombination thereof. The meme includes at least an image, a video clip,or an audio clip. The meme encapsulates at least one sentiment projectedby at least one subject of the meme towards at least one object presentwithin the meme. For example, a sentiment (e.g., desire) can beassociated with “millennials” (e.g., a subject) desiring “Whiteclaw”(e.g., an object). In some embodiments, the computer system extractsfeatures from the meme using machine vision, audio processing, opticalcharacter recognition, or a combination thereof. The features describesmultiple entities including the subject(s) and the object(s).

In some embodiments, the sentiment is a general sentiment conveyed bythe meme. In other embodiments, the sentiment relates to a more specificrelationship between a subject and an object associated with the meme.The computer system identifies or determines at least one relationshipbetween the subject(s) and the object(s) to provide the sentiment(s).For example, the computer system can use a machine learning (ML) modelbased on the features to identify the relationship(s). The ML model ispreviously trained to perform sentiment analysis based on a database ofmeme templates. A meme template refers to a format or pattern of thememe that specifies the presence of subjects(s) and object(s), therelationship(s) connecting the subjects(s) and object(s), the presenceof text or other digital media, or a combination thereof. For example,the template can be used to generate memes matching the template bychanging or switching out the subjects(s) and/or object(s). In someembodiments, the computer system aggregates the object(s) and/or thesentiment(s) into an aggregate progression generated from multipleobtained memes. For example, the aggregate progression can be a trend, acluster, a collective, or a combination thereof. The aggregateprogression can indicate whether the meme or the template is trending orgoing viral on the Internet. In some embodiments, the computer systemtransmits a graphical representation of the aggregate progression to acontent provider (e.g., associated with the object(s)). For example, thecontent provider can be a manufacturer, a university, the government, amovie studio, a social network, etc. The content provider can furtheruse the aggregate progression to enable generation of new memes usingthe template.

The advantages and benefits of the methods, systems, and apparatusdisclosed herein include enabling high-speed computing for automaticallyor autonomously analyzing and identifying meme templates and theentities therein, and determining the sentiment(s) projected towardsdifferent entities. The feature extraction methods disclosed processdigital images and media for machine interpretation, thus reducing theprocessing latency. The image processing methods described increase theaccuracy of the system and provide higher computation speeds. Themachine learning methods disclosed broaden the range of applications forsentiment analysis, provide a continuous scope of improvement for thesystem, improve efficiencies in handling of data, and aid in dataacquisition. The machine learning engine disclosed further providessentiment analysis capabilities beyond text content, such as, but notlimited to, memes in the form of images, videos, audio, meme formatimages, and actions and gestures. The disclosed methods enable acomputer system to analyze video and audio meme templates at scale(e.g., millions of different video clips, audio clips, etc.) todetermine a cultural moment, its actors, public sentiment, and thenarrative around the moment/meme far beyond the capability of the humanmind.

Embodiments of the present disclosure will be described more thoroughlyfrom now on with reference to the accompanying drawings. Like numeralsrepresent like elements throughout the several figures, and in whichexample embodiments are shown. However, embodiments of the claims can beembodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limitedto the embodiments set forth herein. The examples set forth herein arenon-limiting examples and are merely examples, among other possibleexamples.

Throughout this specification, plural instances (e.g., “602”) mayimplement components, operations, or structures (e.g., “602 a”)described as a single instance. Further, plural instances (e.g., “602”)refer collectively to a set of components, operations, or structures(e.g., “602 a”) described as a single instance. The description of asingle component (e.g., “602 a”) applies equally to a like-numberedcomponent (e.g., “602 b”) unless indicated otherwise. These and otheraspects, features, and implementations can be expressed as methods,apparatus, systems, components, program products, means or steps forperforming a function, and in other ways. These and other aspects,features, and implementations will become apparent from the followingdescriptions, including the claims.

FIG. 1 is a functionality diagram illustrating contextual sentimentanalysis of digital memes, in accordance with one or more embodiments.FIG. 1 shows functions performed by the embodiments disclosed hereinthat can be implemented using software modules (e.g., module 104) orcomponents of the example computer system 1000 illustrated and describedin more detail with reference to FIG. 10 . Likewise, embodiments of thesystem shown by FIG. 1 can include different and/or additionalcomponents or can be connected in different ways.

In Stage 1 of the process, a computer system uses module 104 to obtain ameme from a data source 108. The module 104 can perform web scraping,media search, or retrieve user uploads to the data source 108. In someembodiments, module 104 uses a data pipeline to obtain memes. The datasource 108 can include a website, a social media platform (e.g.,Twitter, Facebook, etc.), a subreddit (i.e., a specific online communityand the posts associated with it on the social media website Reddit),another meme source, a server to which datasets have been uploaded, or acombination thereof. The meme includes one or more of images, audioclips, video clips, text, sounds, graphics interchange format (GIF),viral sensations, online challenges, any other expressive digitalcontent, or a combination thereof. The meme encapsulates at least onesentiment (e.g., awe, indifference, jealousy) projected by at least onesubject towards at least one object present within the meme. An objectcan be a person, place, or thing as shown by FIGS. 2A and 3A. A subjectcan be a person, place, thing, or even the person sharing the meme.Example sentiments are illustrated and described in more detail withreference to FIG. 7 .

In some embodiments, obtaining the meme from the data source 108includes web crawling, data scraping the data source 108, using a memecollection tool application programming interface (API) connected to thedata source 108, using another media retrieval method, using an RSSfeed, or a combination thereof. For example, scraping and collectiontools can be used, such as web harvesting or web data extraction toolsthat access the World Wide Web using a web browser, a bot, or a webcrawler for later retrieval and analysis. Data scraping refers toextraction of data from human-readable output coming from anotherprogram, a website, the web, a social media platform, etc. An API is aprogram that enables an application (e.g., the embodiments disclosedherein) to retrieve or exchange data (e.g., memes) and functionalityfrom another program or a data source, e.g., the data source 108. An RSSfeed refers to a web feed that allows users and applications (e.g.,module 104) to access updates to websites (e.g., the data source 108) ina standardized, computer-readable format. A bot refers to an autonomousprogram on the Internet or another network that can interact withsystems or users. A web crawler refers to a computer program thatautomatically and systematically searches web pages for certainkeywords, e.g., text in memes.

In some embodiments, the computer system uses module 132 to extract afeatures from the meme using at least one of machine vision, audioprocessing, or optical character recognition. Module 132 is used inStage 1 of the process. In other embodiments that use deep learning(illustrated and described in more detail with reference to FIG. 9 ), noexplicit feature extraction is performed. The computer system canextract information about the content of an image in the meme, such aswhether a certain region or area of the image has certain properties.For example, the properties analyzed can include spatial resolution,contrast resolution, noise, and the presence of objects, edges, etc.Example features 912 are illustrated and described in more detail withreference to FIG. 9 . Example templatized areas 216, 220, 224 areillustrated in FIG. 2C.

A feature can be a specific structure in an image or video, such as apoints, an edge, or an object. For example, features can be related tomotion in a video clip or to shapes defined in terms of curves orboundaries between different image regions. The computer system can useaudio processing to remove noise from an audio clip in the meme andbalance the time-frequency ranges. Audio features can includetime-domain features, acoustic properties (e.g., beat, rhythm, timbre,pitch, harmony, melody, etc.), features in the frequency domain,hand-picked features for ML modeling, or a combination thereof. Thecomputer system can further extract features using electronic conversionof images of typed, handwritten, or printed text in the meme intomachine-encoded text. The text can be captured from a document, a photoof a document, a scene-photo, or from subtitle text superimposed in thememe.

The features describe multiple entities including the subject(s) and theobject(s) associated with the meme, as illustrated and described in moredetail with reference to FIGS. 2A-2C. Using module 136 in Stage 1 of theprocess, the computer system determines at least one relationshipbetween the subject(s) and the object(s) to provide the sentiment(s)(e.g., awe, indifference, jealousy, etc.) using an ML model. An exampleML model 916 is illustrated and described in more detail with referenceto FIG. 9 . Example relationships between a subject and objects of ameme are illustrated and described in more detail with reference toFIGS. 2A-2C. In some embodiments, the computer system determines therelationship(s) based on the features. In other embodiments (describedin more detail with reference to FIG. 9 ) that use deep learning, suchas convolutional neural networks (CNNs), no explicit feature extractionis performed, and the computer system determines the relationship(s)using the meme directly, e.g., using the multiple layers of a CNN.

In some embodiments, using module 136 in Stage 1 of the process, thecomputer system determines a template of the meme using an ML modeltrained based on the database 112 of meme templates. The template candescribe: (1) at least one relationship between the subject(s) and theobject(s) associated with the meme, and (2) at least one sentiment(e.g., awe, indifference, jealousy) projected by the subject(s) towardsthe object(s). In some embodiments, the ML model is trained to performsentiment analysis using module 128 in Stage 3 based on the database 112of meme templates, for example, using the ML training methods describedin more detail with reference to FIG. 9 . Example meme templates areillustrated and described in more detail with reference to FIGS. 2A and3A. In Stage 3, the module 128 is used for the ML training as well as togenerate the database 112 of meme templates. Generating the database 112and performing the sentiment analysis includes processing and taggingmemes in accordance with a Known Format Database (database 112). Forexample, artificial intelligence (AI) and computer vision can be used totag entities, logos, images, text, or a combination thereof at thefeature extraction stage using module 132 in Stage 1. In embodiments,text recognition (OCR) is used to extract text from the meme and add thetext to a tag. The module 128 can also store metadata describing whoshared a particular meme, on which platform it was shared, when it wasshared, etc. to generate the database 112. Using module 136 in Stage 1,the ML model recognizes a meme format when it identifies a categorymatching the template in the database 112.

In some embodiments, the computer system aggregates the object(s) andthe identified sentiment(s) into an aggregate progression generated frommultiple obtained memes. The multiple memes are obtained using module140. The module 140 performs web scraping or retrieves user uploads (themultiple memes) to the data source 108. In some embodiments, module 140uses a data pipeline to obtain the multiple memes. For example, scrapingand collection tools can be used, such as web harvesting or web dataextraction tools that access the World Wide Web using a web browser, abot, or a web crawler for later retrieval and analysis.

In Stage 2 of the process, module 120 is used for generating theaggregate progression. The aggregate progression indicates the frequencyof a meme being shared and/or transmitted across a social mediaplatform, a subreddit, the Internet, or a combination thereof overparticular periods of time. The aggregate progression can be used todetermine whether a particular meme or a particular meme format is viraland the time period it is/was viral during using module 120. In someembodiments, the aggregate progression tracks the virality and tendencyfor the meme or its format to circulate, the “likes,” the retweets, theshares, or a combination thereof. The computer system can track thememe's longevity, fecundity (the rate at which the meme is copied andspread), the number of copies made in a certain unit of time, a numberof alterations, a number of social networks used, a number ofvariations, or a combination thereof.

In some embodiments, a graphical user interface (GUI) enables users toquery for relevant memes utilizing meme tags (e.g., “memes related toCovid-19,” “memes related to sleeping,” or “memes related todisappointment”). The module 120 further provides functionality thatincludes, but is not limited to, analysis of trends and associations,and tabulation of virality of memes (e.g., in November 2021, traffic of“White House memes” increased by 80%). The computer system can identifycommon associations between meme tags (e.g., “Bud Light” is oftenassociated with parties). As memes are added to the database 112,analytics can be applied to relay insights including, but not limitedto, trends regarding how a social network, society, or culture feelsabout an entity, what entities are popular, when they become popular,whether sentiments (e.g., awe, indifference, jealousy) projected towardsan entity are positive or negative, or if there is a nuanced emotionaround a given cultural entity.

In some embodiments, using module 136, the computer system determines,from the aggregate progression, multiple sentiments (e.g., awe,indifference, jealousy) encapsulated by the multiple memes and projectedtowards the identified object(s) in the memes. For example, theaggregate progression can be a trend, a cluster, a collective, or acombination thereof. For example, an object can be an online streamingshow. The aggregate progression reveals that users viewing the show haveshared memes encapsulating the sentiments of cheer, comfort, delight,elation, glee, and satisfaction towards the online streaming show. Acontent provider that owns the rights to the online streaming show canthen invest in broadcasting reruns of the show based on the sentiments.The computer system can also generate and display a graphicalrepresentation of the multiple sentiments, for example, using module 116and elements of the referential sentiment wheel of FIG. 7 on the videodisplay 1018 of FIG. 10 .

In some embodiments, the computer system transmits a graphicalrepresentation of the aggregate progression to a content providerassociated with the object(s) and/or the subject(s). The computer systemuses module 116 to generate the graphical representation of theaggregate progression in Stage 2. For example, the content provider canbe a manufacturer, a university, the government, a movie studio, asocial network, etc. The graphical representation can be a bar chart, apie chart, a line graph, a histogram, a scatter plot, any othergraphical illustration, or a combination thereof generated using module116. The content provider can further use the aggregate progression forcomputer-implemented tracking of user interactions, meme traffic pernetwork link, public sentiment towards the object(s) and/or thesubject(s), or a combination thereof based on the virality of the memeand its template. In some embodiments, the computer system generates agraphical representation of the object(s) and the sentiment(s) on adisplay device. For example, the video display 1018 of FIG. 10 can beused. The graphical representation can show the object(s) and thesentiment(s), for example, using the referential sentiment wheel of FIG.7 . For example, the graphical representation can display each objectwith a pointer to the particular sentiment on the referential sentimentwheel.

In some embodiments, the computer system determines that the aggregateprogression is associated with greater than a threshold frequency of themultiple obtained memes. For example, the threshold frequency can be 50%of the multiple obtained memes, 80% of the multiple obtained memes, etc.In embodiments, the threshold frequency can indicate a proportion of themultiple obtained memes. The computer system uses module 120 in Stage 2of the process to make the determination. The threshold frequency can bemodified by the computer system, a user of the embodiments disclosedherein, a content provider, or a combination thereof. The thresholdfrequency is used to determine whether a meme has gone viral. Forexample, the threshold frequency can correspond to a number of “likes,”a number of retweets, a number of shares, or a combination thereof. Whenthe aggregate progression is associated with greater than the thresholdfrequency of the multiple obtained memes (e.g., 80% of the obtainedmemes project desire for Bud Light), the computer system determines thatthe meme has gone viral, the meme has reached a desired level ofactivity among an intended audience, the meme is achieving a certainuser interactions performance (e.g., traffic in “White House” memes hasincreased by 60%), or a combination thereof. If the aggregateprogression is associated with less than the threshold frequency of themultiple obtained memes, the computer system determines that the memehas not gone viral, the meme is not trending, the meme is on a downwardtrend, etc.

In response to determining that the aggregate progression is associatedwith greater than the threshold frequency, the computer system can usemodule 116 to transmit a message to the content provider to generateadditional memes encapsulating the sentiment(s) (e.g., awe,indifference, jealousy) and the relationship(s). For example, if a memeor a meme format encapsulating positive sentiments towards a particularonline streaming show is trending, the computer system can notify thecreators of the particular online streaming show to insert theparticular online streaming show into additional memes of the sameformat or to place the meme in additional locations (e.g., websites,social platforms, etc.). In some embodiments, the computer systemdetermines that the aggregate progression is associated with less than athreshold frequency of the multiple obtained memes. In response todetermining that the aggregate progression is associated with less thanthe threshold frequency, the computer system transmits a message to thecontent provider to avoid generating additional memes encapsulating thesentiment(s) and the object(s). Thus, memes that are on a downward trendare avoided or not associated with products corresponding to theobject(s).

In some embodiments, module 116 is used to generate alerts andnotifications upon certain movements within the aggregate progression,such as the occurrence of a designated tag at, above, or below aparticular frequency, the co-occurrence of associated tags with anentity, the co-occurrence of a sentiment at a certain thresholdfrequency, the sharing of a meme format at a certain thresholdfrequency, or a combination thereof. For example, the trending of a memethat projects positive sentiments towards images of a physical knob on auser interface of a first automobile combined with a downward trend inmemes projecting positive sentiments towards images of a touchscreenuser interface of a second automobile can direct automobilemanufacturers to manufacture and install physical knobs on userinterfaces. The meme analysis methods and the embodiments disclosedherein therefore can be used to implement user surveys and consumersatisfaction rating engines.

In Stage 3 of the process, the computer system uses module 124 toidentify meme morphing. Meme morphing is a phenomenon when a first mememorphs into a second meme that shares portions of the template with thefirst meme. Meme morphing can indicate intense positive sentimentstowards the object(s) of the first meme, such that users have investedcreative efforts into updating and sharing the second meme. For example,after analyzing a first meme, the computer system obtains a second memefrom the data source 108. The second meme is different from the firstmeme, e.g., having a different subject, a different object, differenttext, a different image, etc. The computer system determines that thesecond meme is associated with the same sentiment(s) and therelationship(s) as the first meme using the ML model. In response todetermining that the second meme is associated with the samesentiment(s) and the relationship(s) as the first meme, the computersystem uses module 124 and machine learning to determine that the firstmeme has morphed into the second meme.

In Stage 4 of the process, the computer system uses module 144 togenerate new memes based on the analyzed meme (“the first meme”). Forexample, the computer system receives information describing at leastone entity from a user. The entity can be a person, a product, an onlinestreaming show, etc. The user can be a content provider, a company, thegovernment, a university, etc. The computer system uses module 144 togenerate a second meme comprising at least an image from the first meme,a video clip from the first meme, an audio clip from the first meme,text from the first meme, or a combination thereof. The second meme istherefore related to the first meme. The second meme encapsulates thesame sentiment(s) (e.g., awe, respect, etc.) projected towards theentity as the first meme. In embodiments, the second meme encapsulatesthe same relationship(s) as the first meme.

FIGS. 2A, 2B, and 2C illustrate example image meme contexts, inaccordance with one or more embodiments. FIG. 2A shows a meme format(template), sometimes referred to as the “distracted boyfriend”template. The subject Y and objects X, Z associated with the meme arethe multiple entities identified by the computer system when analyzingthe meme using module 132 in Stage 1 of FIG. 1 . In some embodiments, asubject corresponds to a first templatized area of the meme. Forexample, the templatized area 220 of FIG. 2C corresponds to the subject“Windows.” A templatized area can include an image (e.g., image 204 ofFIG. 2B), an audio clip, a video clip, text, or a combination thereof.In the template of FIG. 2A, each templatized area of the meme includesan image and text.

An object associated with the meme corresponds to a second templatizedarea of the meme. For example, the templatized area 216 of FIG. 2Ccorresponds to the subject “Chrome.” In the template shown by FIG. 2A,the subject Y is located in the middle and corresponds to the image 204(e.g., a first templatized area of the meme) shown by FIG. 2B. The firstobject X is located on the left hand side and corresponds to the image212 (e.g., a second templatized area of the meme) shown by FIG. 2B. Thesecond object Z is located on the right hand side and corresponds to theimage 208 (e.g., a third templatized area of the meme) shown by FIG. 2B.

In some embodiments, determining the sentiment(s) projected by thesubject Y towards the objects X, Z includes using module 136 in Stage 1of FIG. 1 to identify a network associated with the subject Y and theobjects X, Z. The network connects the multiple entities. For example,the relationships between the entities of FIG. 2A can be expressed asfollows. The relationship X-Y (corresponding to an edge in the network)indicates that object X is related to subject Y, for example, (1) objectX has caught the attention of subject Y and (2) object X is new ordistracting to subject Y. The relationship X-Z (corresponding to anotheredge in the network) indicates that (1) object X has become morepreferable than object Z and (2) object X is fresher and more excitingthan the object Z. The relationship Y-Z (corresponding to another edgein the network) indicates that (1) subject Y is distracted from theobject Z and (2) object Z is no longer most favorable to the subject Y.

In some embodiments, the computer system of FIG. 10 determines at leastone sentiment, projected by the subject Y towards the objects X, Z basedon the relationships between the entities. For example, the sentimentsdetermined from the meme that are projected by the subject Y towards theobject X can be determined as “Surprised, Happy, Valued.” The sentimentdetermined from the meme that is projected by the subject Y towards theobject Z can be “Abandoned.” The sentiment that is projected by a personsharing the meme towards the subject Y can be “Neutral.” In greaterdetail, the sentiments projected by subject Y towards the object Xindicate that (1) object X is particularly favorable and (2) the objectX may be not currently be in possession or is only recently inpossession. The sentiments projected by subject Y towards object Zindicate that (1) the subject Y may have previously found object Zdesirable but more recently the subject Y prefers something else, (2)the subject Y's tastes may have changed, and (3) the subject Y may havegrown tired of what it had or the subject Y may have been presented withnew options. The sentiments projected towards the object Z indicate that(1) the object Z is in possession and was once desirable and (2) theobject Z may have become less interesting or failed to hold attention.

The network connecting X, Y, Z corresponds to the relationships betweenthe subject Y and the objects X, Z. The network includes at least oneedge corresponding to a relationship between the subject Y and eachobject. The edge(s) connect the subject Y to the objects X, Z within thenetwork and indicate the sentiment(s). In some embodiments, identifyingthe meme template includes identifying the network corresponding to therelationship(s) between the multiple entities associated with the meme.For example, FIG. 2B shows that there are three entities associated withthe meme: subject “Millennials,” the first object “Whiteclaw,” and thesecond object “Bud Light.” The computer system determines that there isa network that contains three edges connecting the entities. A firstedge connects the subject Millennials to the object Whiteclaw andcorresponds to the relationship between the subject Millennials and theobject Whiteclaw. A second edge connects the subject Millennials to theobject Bud Light and corresponds to the relationship between the subjectMillennials and the object Bud Light. A third edge connects the objectWhiteclaw to the object Bud Light and corresponds to the relationshipbetween the object Whiteclaw and the object Bud Light.

The edges between the subjects Millennials and the objects Whiteclaw andBud Light correspond to the relationships: (1) Millennials have BudLight but want Whiteclaw, (2) Whiteclaw is desirable to Millennials, (3)Bud Light is less exciting and less desirable to Millennials thanWhiteclaw, and (4) Bud Light has lost desirability in comparison toWhiteclaw. The edges between the subjects Millennials and the objectsWhiteclaw and Bud Light further indicate the following sentimentsencapsulated by the meme: (1) the person sharing the meme projects aneutral sentiment towards the subject Millennials, (2) the subjectMillennials projects positive sentiments (e.g., desirable, exciting,preferable) towards the object Whiteclaw, (3) the subject Millennialsprojects negative sentiments (e.g., undesirable, not exciting, notpreferable) towards the object Bud Light, (4) the object Whiteclawprojects indifference (or, in some cases, superiority) towards theobject Bud Light, and (5) the object Bud Light projects jealousy towardsthe object Whiteclaw.

Further, FIG. 2C shows that the determined relationships between thesubject “Windows” and the objects “Chrome” and “Explorer” indicate that(1) Windows has Explorer but want Chrome, (2) Chrome is desirable toWindows, (3) Explorer is less exciting and less desirable to Windowsthan Chrome, and (4) Explorer has lost desirability in comparison toChrome. The example meme of FIG. 2C thus includes images and text. Theobject Explore associated with the meme corresponds to the templatizedarea 224 of the meme.

FIGS. 3A, 3B, and 3C illustrate example image meme contexts, inaccordance with one or more embodiments. FIG. 3A shows a meme format(template) in which the person “N” sharing the meme is the subject ofthe meme. The meme template of FIG. 3A includes an image and text in twolocations (templatized areas). The subject N and the object X associatedwith the meme are the multiple entities identified by the computersystem when analyzing the meme using module 132 in Stage 1 of FIG. 1 .The object X references a task that is incredibly difficult orimpossible to execute. The meme is associated with a relationshipbetween the subject N and the object X indicating that X is formidableand respected by the meme creator (subject N). The sentiments projectedby the subject N towards the object X include “Astonished, Awe,Powerful, Courageous, etc.”

FIG. 3B indicates that the object “driving home from McDonalds withouteating any fries” is incredibly difficult to execute or is nearlyimpossible. The tone of the meme is humorous and sarcastic. Thesentiment encapsulated by the meme and projected by the subject Ntowards the object “driving home from McDonalds without eating anyfries” is one of awe. FIG. 3C indicates that the object “takingChristmas decorations off of a tree” is incredibly difficult to executeor is nearly impossible. The sentiment encapsulated by the memeindicates that the object “taking Christmas decorations off of a tree”is held in high regard by the subject N.

FIGS. 4A and 4B illustrate example audio meme contexts, in accordancewith one or more embodiments. FIG. 4A shows a meme having a templatesometimes referred to as the “sad violin” template. In the template, theperson sharing the meme is the subject of the meme. The example meme ofFIG. 4A includes an audio clip and text. The meme includes an audio clipof a violin's sound (e.g., stored athttps://www.myinstants.com/instant/sad-violinthe-meme-one/). The subjectand the object (“The ending of Endgame in a nutshell”) associated withthe meme are the multiple entities identified by the computer systemwhen analyzing the meme using module 132 in Stage 1 of FIG. 1 . Forexample, optical character recognition can be used to extract theobject's text from the meme. The object depicts something that isdevastatingly sad. The meme is associated with a relationship betweenthe subject and the object indicating that the subject finds “The endingof Endgame in a nutshell” very upsetting or sad (the sentimentencapsulated by the meme of FIG. 4A).

FIG. 4B shows another example of the sad violin meme. The example memeof FIG. 4B includes an audio clip, images, and text. The memeillustrated by FIG. 4B includes text 404 (“My Seat For Valentine'sDay”), an image of empty chairs, and the sad violin audio clip 408. Theencapsulated sentiment is that “My Seat for Valentine's Day” is regardedas very sad by the meme creator (the subject).

FIGS. 5A and 5B illustrate example video meme contexts, in accordancewith one or more embodiments. FIG. 5A shows a meme having a templatethat includes a video clip. In the template, the person sharing the memeis the subject of the meme. The object associated with the meme is theperson in the video in FIG. 5A. The video depicts the objectskateboarding, drinking a large-sized Cranberry beverage, and listeningto music by Fleetwood Mac. The subject and the object associated withthe meme are the multiple entities identified by the computer systemwhen analyzing the meme using module 132 in Stage 1 of FIG. 1 . Forexample, machine vision, image processing, and machine learning can beused to extract and recognize the object from the meme of FIG. 5A. Thevideo clip depicts the object as “relaxed and vibing.” The meme isassociated with a relationship between the subject and the objectindicating that the subject finds the object “relaxed, a breath of freshair, a calm release, bringing joy, hits different, etc.” (the sentimentsencapsulated by the meme of FIG. 5A).

FIG. 5B shows another example of the video meme. The meme illustrated byFIG. 5B includes a video clip of Mick Fleetwood. The encapsulatedsentiments of the meme include “Mick Fleetwood is relaxed and vibing,regarded as relaxed, a breath of fresh air, a calm release, brings joy,hits different, etc.” The computer system of FIG. 10 , using theembodiments described herein, thus processes each meme to determinesentiment(s), meaning, and relationship(s) conveyed by the meme. Thecomputer system segments each meme into the included entities, andidentifies the sentiment(s) projected and the relationship(s) betweenthe entities in the meme template. The computer system furtheridentifies sentiment(s) that the meme purveyor intends to projecttowards each entity associated with the meme.

FIG. 6 is a flow diagram illustrating an example process for contextualsentiment analysis of digital memes, in accordance with one or moreembodiments. In some embodiments, the process of FIG. 6 is performed bya computer system, e.g., the example computer system 1000 illustratedand described in more detail with reference to FIG. 10 . In someembodiments, the computer system includes an ML system, e.g., theexample ML module 900 illustrated and described in more detail withreference to FIG. 9 . Particular entities, for example, the softwaremodules illustrated and described in more detail with reference to FIG.1 perform some or all of the steps of the process in other embodiments.Likewise, embodiments can include different and/or additional steps, orperform the steps in different orders.

In step 604, a computer system obtains a meme from a data source. Thememe can be similar to the memes illustrated and described in moredetail with reference to FIGS. 2B, 2C, 3B, etc. Example data sources areillustrated and described in more detail with reference to FIG. 1 . Thememe includes at least one of an image, a video clip, text, or an audioclip. The meme further encapsulates at least one sentiment projected byat least one subject towards at least one object present within thememe. For example, the meme can include an image of a distractedboyfriend (illustrated and described in more detail with reference toFIG. 2A) and a sentiment can reflect “desire” of the subject 204(Millennials) for the object 212 (Whiteclaw), as illustrated anddescribed in more detail with reference to FIG. 2B.

In step 608, the computer system extracts a features from the meme usingat least one of machine vision, audio processing, or optical characterrecognition. An example feature vector 912 is illustrated and describedin more detail with reference to FIG. 9 . The feature vector describesmultiple entities including the subject(s) and the object(s) of thememe. For example, in addition to the object 212 (Whiteclaw) in the memeof FIG. 2B, the meme can include a second object 208 (Bud Light), asillustrated and described in more detail with reference to FIG. 2B.

In step 612, the computer system determines at least one relationshipbetween the subject(s) and the object(s) to provide the sentiment(s)using a ML model based on the feature vector. An example ML model 916 isillustrated and described in more detail with reference to FIG. 9 . TheML model 916 is trained to perform sentiment analysis based on adatabase 112 of meme templates. Example meme templates are illustratedand described in more detail with reference to FIGS. 2A and 3A. Thetraining procedure is illustrated and described in more detail withreference to FIG. 9 . A meme template refers to a format or pattern ofthe meme that specifies the presence of subjects(s) and object(s), therelationship(s) connecting the subjects(s) and object(s), the presenceof text or other digital media, or a combination thereof. For example,once the template is identified, it can be used to generate new memesmatching the template by changing or switching out the subjects(s) andobject(s).

In step 616, the computer system aggregates the object(s) and thesentiment(s) into an aggregate progression generated from multipleobtained memes. For example, the aggregate progression can be a trend, acluster, a collective, or a combination thereof. The aggregateprogression can indicate whether the meme or the template is trending orgoing viral on the Internet. For example, as shown by FIG. 1 , in Stage2 of the process, module 120 is used for generating the aggregateprogression. The aggregate progression indicates the frequency of a memebeing shared and/or transmitted across a social media platform, asubreddit, the Internet, or a combination thereof over particularperiods of time. The aggregate progression can be used to determinewhether a particular meme or a particular meme format is viral and thetime period it is/was viral in during using module 120. In someembodiments, the aggregate progression tracks the virality and tendencyfor the meme or its format to circulate, the “likes,” the retweets, theshares, any other metric, or a combination thereof. The computer systemcan track the meme's longevity, fecundity (the rate at which the meme iscopied and spread), the number of copies made in a certain unit of time,a number of alterations, a number of social networks used, a number ofvariations, etc.

In step 620, the computer system transmits a graphical representation ofthe aggregate progression to a content provider associated with theobject(s). For example, the content provider can be a manufacturer, auniversity, the government, a movie studio, etc. The graphicalrepresentation can be a bar chart, a pie chart, a line graph, ahistogram, a scatter plot, any other graphical illustration, or acombination thereof. The content provider can further use the aggregateprogression to enable generation of new memes using the template. Forexample, as shown by FIG. 1 , the computer system uses module 116 togenerate the graphical representation of the aggregate progression inStage 2. The content provider can use the aggregate progression toenable generation of new memes using the template. The content providercan further use the aggregate progression to track user interactions,views-per-minute performance, public sentiment towards the object(s)and/or the subject(s), or a combination thereof based on the virality ofthe meme and its template.

FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example referential sentiment wheelfor contextual sentiment analysis of digital memes, in accordance withone or more embodiments. The referential sentiment wheel organizes humanemotions into hierarchical categories using colors, layers, andrelations. For example, emotions can be arranged by colors thatestablish a set of similar sentiments. The layers closer to the centerof the wheel depict intensified emotions, while the outer layers depictless-intense sentiments. The polar opposite emotions are arranged acrossfrom each other. Certain primary emotions can further be combined togenerate complex sentiments, for example, joy+trust=love. A computersystem can train the machine learning model 916 (illustrated anddescribed in more detail with reference to FIG. 9 ) using thereferential sentiment wheel of FIG. 7 for determining at least onesentiment 704 (e.g., joyful) projected by a subject towards an object ina meme. Elements of the referential sentiment wheel of FIG. 7 can bepart of a meme template detected using an ML model. The referentialsentiment wheel of FIG. 7 can be associated with the training data 920illustrated and described in more detail with reference to FIG. 9 . Amanufacturer or company can further use the embodiments described hereinand the referential sentiment wheel of FIG. 7 to determine theexperiences and emotions a meme portrays, and generate memes tocultivate such sentiments towards a product.

FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example annotated digital meme, inaccordance with one or more embodiments. The meme can be generated usingthe example computer system 1000 illustrated and described in moredetail with reference to FIG. 10 or obtained from a data source, such asan online forum, a website, or a social media platform, as described inmore detail with reference to FIG. 1 . A computer system determines thetemplate of the meme using an ML model trained based on a database ofmeme templates. Example meme templates are illustrated and described inmore detail with reference to FIGS. 2A and 3A. Elements of thereferential sentiment wheel of FIG. 7 can be part of a meme template. Anexample ML model 916 is illustrated and described in more detail withreference to FIG. 9 . An example database 112 of meme templates isillustrated and described in more detail with reference to FIG. 1 . Thedetermined template describes at least one relationship between at leastone subject 836 (the woman in the meme) and at least one object 820associated with the meme. In FIG. 8 , the object 820 is an image of aperson to the right of the subject 836. The template further describesat least one sentiment projected by the subject 836 towards the at leastone object 820. The sentiment(s) are based on at least one contextualelement present within the meme. For example, the contextual elementscan include an action 804, a facial expression, an embedded audio clip816, comments 824, overlaid text 828, text within a video, a symbol 808,a sound 832, video metadata, an object (e.g., a car, a hat, or a house),a hashtag 812, or a combination thereof.

FIG. 9 is a block diagram illustrating an example machine learning (ML)system 900, in accordance with one or more embodiments. The ML system900 is implemented using components of the example computer system 1000illustrated and described in more detail with reference to FIG. 10 .Likewise, embodiments of the ML system 900 can include different and/oradditional components or be connected in different ways. The ML system900 is sometimes referred to as a ML module.

The ML system 900 includes a feature extraction module 908 implementedusing components of the example computer system 1000 illustrated anddescribed in more detail with reference to FIG. 10 . In someembodiments, the feature extraction module 908 extracts a feature vector912 from input data 904. For example, the input data 904 can include oneor more images, sets of text, audio files, or video files. The featurevector 912 includes features 912 a, 912 b, . . . , 912 n. The featureextraction module 908 reduces the redundancy in the input data 904,e.g., repetitive data values, to transform the input data 904 into thereduced set of features 912, e.g., features 912 a, 912 b, . . . , 912 n.The feature vector 912 contains the relevant information from the inputdata 904, such that events or data value thresholds of interest can beidentified by the ML model 916 by using this reduced representation. Insome example embodiments, dimensionality reduction techniques, such asprincipal component analysis (PCA) or autoencoders are used by thefeature extraction module 908.

In alternate embodiments, the ML model 916 performs deep learning (alsoknown as deep structured learning or hierarchical learning) directly onthe input data 904 to learn data representations, as opposed to usingtask-specific algorithms. In deep learning, no explicit featureextraction is performed; the features 912 are implicitly extracted bythe ML system 900. For example, the ML model 916 can use a cascade ofmultiple layers of nonlinear processing units for implicit featureextraction and transformation. Each successive layer uses the outputfrom the previous layer as input. The ML model 916 can learn insupervised (e.g., classification) and/or unsupervised (e.g., patternanalysis) modes. The ML model 916 can learn multiple levels ofrepresentations that correspond to different levels of abstraction,wherein the different levels form a hierarchy of concepts. In thismanner, the ML model 916 can be configured to differentiate features ofinterest from background features.

In alternative example embodiments, the ML model 916, e.g., in the formof a CNN generates the output 924, without the need for featureextraction, directly from the input data 904. The output 924 is providedto the computer device 928. The computer device 928 is a server,computer, tablet, smartphone, smart speaker, etc., implemented usingcomponents of the example computer system 1000 illustrated and describedin more detail with reference to FIG. 10 . In some embodiments, thesteps performed by the ML system 900 are stored in memory on thecomputer device 928 for execution. In other embodiments, the output 924is displayed on high-definition monitors.

A CNN is a type of feed-forward artificial neural network in which theconnectivity pattern between its neurons is inspired by the organizationof a visual cortex. Individual cortical neurons respond to stimuli in arestricted region of space known as the receptive field. The receptivefields of different neurons partially overlap such that they tile thevisual field. The response of an individual neuron to stimuli within itsreceptive field can be approximated mathematically by a convolutionoperation. CNNs are based on biological processes and are variations ofmultilayer perceptrons designed to use minimal amounts of preprocessing.

The ML model 916 can be a CNN that includes both convolutional layersand max pooling layers. The architecture of the ML model 916 can be“fully convolutional,” which means that variable sized sensor datavectors can be fed into it. For all convolutional layers, the ML model916 can specify a kernel size, a stride of the convolution, and anamount of zero padding applied to the input of that layer. For thepooling layers, the ML model 916 can specify the kernel size and strideof the pooling.

In some embodiments, the ML system 900 trains the ML model 916, based onthe training data 920, to correlate the feature vector 912 to expectedoutputs in the training data 920. As part of the training of the MLmodel 916, the ML system 900 forms a training set of features andtraining labels by identifying a positive training set of features thathave been determined to have a desired property in question and anegative training set of features that lack the property in question.The ML system 900 applies ML techniques to train the ML model 916, thatwhen applied to the feature vector 912, outputs indications of whetherthe feature vector 912 has an associated desired property or properties.

The ML system 900 can use supervised ML to train the ML model 916, withfeatures from the training sets serving as the inputs. In someembodiments, different ML techniques, such as support vector machine(SVM), regression, naïve Bayes, random forests, neural networks, etc.,are used. In some example embodiments, a validation set 932 is formed ofadditional features, other than those in the training data 920, whichhave already been determined to have or to lack the property inquestion. The ML system 900 applies the trained ML model 916 to thefeatures of the validation set 932 to quantify the accuracy of the MLmodel 916. In some embodiments, the ML system 900 iteratively re-trainsthe ML model 916 until the occurrence of a stopping condition, such asthe accuracy measurement indication that the ML model 916 issufficiently accurate, or a number of training rounds having takenplace.

FIG. 10 is a block diagram illustrating an example computer system 1000,in accordance with one or more embodiments. In some embodiments,components of the example computer system 1000 are used to implement theML system 900 illustrated and described in more detail with reference toFIG. 9 or the software modules (e.g., module 104) illustrated anddescribed in more detail with reference to FIG. 1 . At least someoperations described herein can be implemented on the computer system1001.

The computer system 1000 can include one or more central processingunits (“processors”) 1002, main memory 1006, non-volatile memory 1010,network adapters 1012 (e.g., network interface), video displays 1018,input/output devices 1020, control devices 1022 (e.g., keyboard andpointing devices), drive units 1024 including a storage medium 1026, anda signal generation device 1020 that are communicatively connected to abus 1016. The bus 1016 is illustrated as an abstraction that representsone or more physical buses and/or point-to-point connections that areconnected by appropriate bridges, adapters, or controllers. The bus1016, therefore, can include a system bus, a Peripheral ComponentInterconnect (PCI) bus or PCI-Express bus, a HyperTransport or industrystandard architecture (ISA) bus, a small computer system interface(SCSI) bus, a universal serial bus (USB), IIC (I2C) bus, or an Instituteof Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) standard 1394 bus (alsoreferred to as “Firewire”).

The computer system 1000 can share a similar computer processorarchitecture as that of a desktop computer, tablet computer, personaldigital assistant (PDA), mobile phone, game console, music player,wearable electronic device (e.g., a watch or fitness tracker),network-connected (“smart”) device (e.g., a television or home assistantdevice), virtual/augmented reality systems (e.g., a head-mounteddisplay), or another electronic device capable of executing a set ofinstructions (sequential or otherwise) that specify action(s) to betaken by the computer system 1000.

While the main memory 1006, non-volatile memory 1010, and storage medium1026 (also called a “machine-readable medium”) are shown to be a singlemedium, the term “machine-readable medium” and “storage medium” shouldbe taken to include a single medium or multiple media (e.g., acentralized/distributed database and/or associated caches and servers)that store one or more sets of instructions 1028. The term“machine-readable medium” and “storage medium” shall also be taken toinclude any medium that is capable of storing, encoding, or carrying aset of instructions for execution by the computer system 1000. In someembodiments, the non-volatile memory 1010 or the storage medium 1026 isa non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium storing computerinstructions, which can be executed by the one or more centralprocessing units (“processors”) 1002 to perform functions of theembodiments disclosed herein.

In general, the routines executed to implement the embodiments of thedisclosure can be implemented as part of an operating system or aspecific application, component, program, object, module, or sequence ofinstructions (collectively referred to as “computer programs”). Thecomputer programs typically include one or more instructions (e.g.,instructions 1004, 1008, 1028) set at various times in various memoryand storage devices in a computer device. When read and executed by theone or more processors 1002, the instruction(s) cause the computersystem 1000 to perform operations to execute elements involving thevarious aspects of the disclosure.

Moreover, while embodiments have been described in the context of fullyfunctioning computer devices, those skilled in the art will appreciatethat the various embodiments are capable of being distributed as aprogram product in a variety of forms. The disclosure applies regardlessof the particular type of machine or computer-readable media used toactually effect the distribution.

Further examples of machine-readable storage media, machine-readablemedia, or computer-readable media include recordable-type media such asvolatile and non-volatile memory devices 1010, floppy and otherremovable disks, hard disk drives, optical discs (e.g., Compact DiscRead-Only Memory (CD-ROMS), Digital Versatile Discs (DVDs)), andtransmission-type media such as digital and analog communication links.

The network adapter 1012 enables the computer system 1000 to mediatedata in a network 1014 with an entity that is external to the computersystem 1000 through any communication protocol supported by the computersystem 1000 and the external entity. The network adapter 1012 caninclude a network adapter card, a wireless network interface card, arouter, an access point, a wireless router, a switch, a multilayerswitch, a protocol converter, a gateway, a bridge, a bridge router, ahub, a digital media receiver, and/or a repeater.

The network adapter 1012 can include a firewall that governs and/ormanages permission to access proxy data in a computer network and tracksvarying levels of trust between different machines and/or applications.The firewall can be any number of modules having any combination ofhardware and/or software components able to enforce a predetermined setof access rights between a particular set of machines and applications,machines and machines, and/or applications and applications (e.g., toregulate the flow of traffic and resource sharing between theseentities). The firewall can additionally manage and/or have access to anaccess control list that details permissions including the access andoperation rights of an object by an individual, a machine, and/or anapplication, and the circumstances under which the permission rightsstand.

The techniques introduced here can be implemented by programmablecircuitry (e.g., one or more microprocessors), software and/or firmware,special-purpose hardwired (i.e., non-programmable) circuitry, or acombination of such forms. Special-purpose circuitry can be in the formof one or more application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs),programmable logic devices (PLDs), field-programmable gate arrays(FPGAs), etc.

The description and drawings herein are illustrative and are not to beconstrued as limiting. Numerous specific details are described toprovide a thorough understanding of the disclosure. However, in certaininstances, well-known details are not described in order to avoidobscuring the description. Further, various modifications can be madewithout deviating from the scope of the embodiments.

The terms used in this specification generally have their ordinarymeanings in the art, within the context of the disclosure, and in thespecific context where each term is used. Certain terms that are used todescribe the disclosure are discussed above, or elsewhere in thespecification, to provide additional guidance to the practitionerregarding the description of the disclosure. For convenience, certainterms can be highlighted, for example using italics and/or quotationmarks. The use of highlighting has no influence on the scope and meaningof a term; the scope and meaning of a term is the same, in the samecontext, whether or not it is highlighted. It will be appreciated thatthe same thing can be said in more than one way. One will recognize that“memory” is one form of a “storage” and that the terms can on occasionbe used interchangeably.

Consequently, alternative language and synonyms can be used for any oneor more of the terms discussed herein, nor is any special significanceto be placed upon whether or not a term is elaborated or discussedherein. Synonyms for certain terms are provided. A recital of one ormore synonyms does not exclude the use of other synonyms. The use ofexamples anywhere in this specification including examples of any termdiscussed herein is illustrative only and is not intended to furtherlimit the scope and meaning of the disclosure or of any exemplifiedterm. Likewise, the disclosure is not limited to various embodimentsgiven in this specification.

It is to be understood that the embodiments and variations shown anddescribed herein are merely illustrative of the principles of thisinvention and that various modifications can be implemented by thoseskilled in the art.

I/We claim:
 1. A method comprising: obtaining, by a computer system, ameme from a data source, the meme comprising at least one of an image, avideo clip, or an audio clip, wherein the meme encapsulates at least onesentiment projected by at least one subject towards at least one objectpresent within the meme; extracting, by the computer system, featuresfrom the meme using at least one of machine vision, audio processing, oroptical character recognition, wherein the features describe a pluralityof entities comprising the at least one subject and the at least oneobject; determining, by the computer system, at least one relationshipbetween the at least one subject and the at least one object to providethe at least one sentiment using a machine learning model based on thefeatures, the machine learning model trained to perform sentimentanalysis based on a database of meme templates; aggregating, by thecomputer system, the at least one object and the at least one sentimentinto an aggregate progression generated from a plurality of obtainedmemes; and transmitting, by the computer system, a graphicalrepresentation of the aggregate progression to a content providerassociated with the at least one object.
 2. The method of claim 1,wherein: obtaining the meme from the data source comprises at least oneof data scraping the data source, using a meme collection toolapplication programming interface (API) connected to the data source, orusing an RSS feed, and wherein the data source comprises at least one ofa social media platform, an online forum, or a subreddit.
 3. The methodof claim 1, wherein determining the at least one relationship comprises:identifying, by the computer system, a network connecting the pluralityof entities, wherein the network comprises at least one edgecorresponding to the at least one relationship, and wherein the at leastone edge connects the at least one subject to the at least one objectwithin the network.
 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the meme is afirst meme, the method further comprising: obtaining, by the computersystem, a second meme from the data source, the second meme differentfrom the first meme; determining, by the computer system, that thesecond meme is associated with the at least one sentiment and the atleast one relationship using the machine learning model; and responsiveto determining that the second meme is associated with the at least onesentiment and the at least one relationship, determining, by thecomputer system, that the first meme has morphed into the second meme.5. The method of claim 1, further comprising: determining, by thecomputer system, that the aggregate progression is associated withgreater than a threshold frequency of the plurality of obtained memes;and responsive to determining that the aggregate progression isassociated with greater than the threshold frequency, transmitting, bythe computer system, a message to the content provider to generateadditional memes encapsulating the at least one sentiment and the atleast one relationship.
 6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:determining, by the computer system, that the aggregate progression isassociated with less than a threshold frequency of the plurality ofobtained memes; and responsive to determining that the aggregateprogression is associated with less than the threshold frequency,transmitting, by the computer system, a message to the content providerto avoid generating additional memes encapsulating the at least onesentiment and the at least one object.
 7. The method of claim 1, whereinthe meme is a first meme, the method further comprising: receiving, bythe computer system, information describing at least one entity from auser; and generating, by the computer system, a second meme comprisingat least one of the image, the video clip, or the audio clip, whereinthe second meme encapsulates the at least one sentiment projectedtowards the at least one entity.
 8. A system comprising: one or morehardware computer processors; and at least one non-transitorycomputer-readable storage medium storing computer instructions, whichwhen executed by the one or more computer processors, cause the systemto: obtain a meme from a data source; determine at least one sentiment,projected by the at least one subject towards the at least one object,using a machine learning model based on features of the meme, thefeatures describing at least one subject and at least one objectrepresented by the meme the machine learning model trained based on adatabase of meme templates; and generate, on a display device, agraphical representation of the at least one object and the at least onesentiment.
 9. The system of claim 8, wherein the computer instructionsto determine the at least one sentiment further cause the system to:identify a network comprising at least one edge corresponding to atleast one relationship between the at least one subject and the at leastone object, wherein the at least one edge connects the at least onesubject to the at least one object within the network.
 10. The system ofclaim 8, wherein the at least one sentiment is based on at least onecontextual element present within the meme, and wherein the at least onecontextual element comprises at least one of an action, a facialexpression, overlaid text, text within a video, a symbol, a sound, videometadata, an object, or a hashtag.
 11. The system of claim 8, whereinthe meme is a first meme, and the computer instructions further causethe system to: obtain a second meme from the data source; determine thatthe second meme is associated with the at least one sentiment using themachine learning model; and responsive to determining that the secondmeme is associated with the at least one sentiment, determine that thefirst meme has morphed into the second meme.
 12. The system of claim 8,wherein the computer instructions further cause the system to: aggregatethe at least one object and the at least one sentiment into an aggregateprogression generated from a plurality of memes; and determine, from theaggregate progression, a plurality of sentiments encapsulated by theplurality of memes and projected towards at least one object.
 13. Thesystem of claim 12, wherein the computer instructions further cause thesystem to: determine that the aggregate progression is associated withgreater than a threshold frequency of the plurality of memes; andresponsive to determining that the aggregate progression is associatedwith greater than the threshold frequency, transmit a message to acontent provider to generate additional memes encapsulating the at leastone sentiment.
 14. The system of claim 12, wherein the computerinstructions further cause the system to: determine that the aggregateprogression is associated with less than a threshold frequency of theplurality of memes; and responsive to determining that the aggregateprogression is associated with less than the threshold frequency,transmit a message to a content provider to avoid generating additionalmemes encapsulating the at least one sentiment.
 15. A non-transitorycomputer-readable storage medium storing computer instructions, whichwhen executed by one or more computer processors, cause the one or morecomputer processors to: obtain a meme from a data source; determine atemplate of the meme using a machine learning model trained based on adatabase of meme templates, wherein the template describes (1) at leastone relationship between at least one subject and at least one objectassociated with the meme, and (2) at least one sentiment projected bythe at least one subject towards the at least one object; and generate,on a display device, a graphical representation of the at least oneobject and the at least one sentiment.
 16. The non-transitorycomputer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the computerinstructions further cause the one or more computer processors to:aggregate the at least one object and the at least one sentiment into anaggregate progression generated from a plurality of memes; anddetermine, from the aggregate progression, a plurality of sentimentsencapsulated by the plurality of memes.
 17. The non-transitorycomputer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the computerinstructions to determine the template cause the one or more computerprocessors to: identify a network comprising at least one edgecorresponding to the at least one relationship, wherein the at least oneedge connects the at least one subject to the at least one object withinthe network.
 18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium ofclaim 15, wherein the at least one sentiment is based on at least onecontextual element present within the meme, and wherein the at least onecontextual element comprises at least one of an action, a facialexpression, overlaid text, text within a video, a symbol, a sound, videometadata, or a hashtag.
 19. The non-transitory computer-readable storagemedium of claim 15, wherein the meme is a first meme, the computerinstructions further causing the one or more computer processors to:obtain a second meme from the data source; determine that the secondmeme is associated with the at least one sentiment and the at least onerelationship using the machine learning model; and responsive todetermining that the second meme is associated with the at least onesentiment and the at least one relationship, determine that the firstmeme has morphed into the second meme
 20. The non-transitorycomputer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the at least onesubject corresponds to a first templatized area of the meme, and the atleast one object corresponds to a second templatized area of the meme.